The Apple TV is one of the leading products in the digital media player industry. It allows you to stream movies, television shows, and other content from the Internet to your TV. The Apple TV Siri remote is handy for navigating and browsing content. If you misplace yours or it gets damaged, you can use your iPhone to control channels. But how do you do that? Follow along with the steps below to learn how it’s done.
Why Use An iPhone As An Apple TV Remote?
A person may want an iPhone as an Apple TV remote for a few reasons. Maybe you lost your Apple TV remote and haven’t gotten a replacement. Or perhaps you want to enjoy the convenience of controlling your TV right on your phone. It could also be you prefer the iPhone remote over the Siri remote. All these are valid reasons. Before we review the steps, let’s discuss these reasons in detail.
Lost Your Remote
The Apple TV Siri Remote has gone through several changes over the years. From the first-generation release to the current third-generation device, the Siri Remote is practically more burdensome than helpful. It’s tiny, sensitive, and sometimes even confusing. Because it’s small and sleek, it’s also incredibly prone to getting lost. Don’t fret, though. If you lose or misplace your Apple TV remote, you can use an iPhone as an Apple TV remote instead. (But, if you then proceed to lose your phone, that’s a problem for another day.)
Added Convenience
Sometimes, you may have no problem with your Apple TV Siri Remote but want another convenient way to control your Apple TV. That’s where the iPhone comes in handy. You don’t have to walk around looking for your remote in the bedroom or kitchen. Using the iPhone as a remote, you can enjoy your favorite TV shows on your Apple TV as usual.
A Matter Of Preference
You may prefer the Apple TV interface on the iPhone more than the physical layout of the remote. The Apple TV Siri Remote has undergone significant upgrades three times now and will likely change again. Rather than continue to buy a new remote every time Apple puts one out, you might want to use the Apple TV remote on the iPhone instead.
- 4K Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos sound and HDR10+ support
- Equipped with the powerful A15 Bionic chip
- Third-generation Siri Remote with improved clickpad
- Wi-Fi and Ethernet options available
How To Use An iPhone As An Apple TV Remote
Let’s walk through the steps required to use an iPhone as an Apple TV remote without further ado. For this piece, we’re using an iPhone XR. However, this guide will apply to anyone with an iPhone capable of running the latest iOS. It can also work just as successfully with an iPad. As of this writing, there’s no support for this feature on an Apple Watch or a MacBook. That’s not to say it might not appear in the future, but we’re sticking with the iPhone and the iPad for now. Now, follow along with the steps and photos below.
Step One: Open Settings
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Unlock your iPhone and go to the Settings app. This app comes pre-installed on your iPhone. If you can’t find the app, try searching for it by swiping down on the center of the screen and typing “Settings.”
Step Two: Go To Control Center
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From the Settings app, tap the heading that says “Control Center.” You should see it in the third group of headings. Scroll down until you spot it, then tap the Control Center heading. It’s right underneath the heading that says “General.”
Step Three: Add Apple TV Remote Control
Add the Apple TV remote widget to use an iPhone as an Apple TV remote.
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Thirdly, within the Control Center settings, scroll down until you see the block that reads “More Controls.” You’ll see an Apple TV icon near the top with the words “Apple TV Remote” beside it. Tap the green plus button to the left of the icon. This will add it to your group of Control Center widgets on your swipe-down menu.
Step Four: Open Control Center
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Next, exit the Settings app and return to the home page. Swipe down from the top right-hand corner of the screen to access your Control Center. At the bottom of your Control Center widgets, you’ll now see the Apple TV Remote icon. Tap it to open up the remote feature.
Step Five: Use Apple TV Remote
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Lastly, you can now use your iPhone as an Apple TV remote. (Make sure your phone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV. Otherwise, it won’t work correctly. You can now use the phone exactly like the Apple TV Siri Remote. That’s all there is to it!
For a brief walkthrough of the steps mentioned above, we recommend this video:
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Peter Kotoff/Shutterstock.com.
